Rules and Regulations!

Entries must be postmarked or email time-stamped no later than January 27, 2017 to be eligible for the Driving the Message contest.

Entry is open to high school and junior high students in the United States.

Entries must address the issue of driving safety by focusing on one of the following risks teens face behind the wheel or as a young passenger – nighttime/drowsy driving, speeding, distractions, seat belts, impaired driving, and/or driving dangerously around large trucks.

Entries that display a dangerous or illegal activity will be disqualified, i.e. a video showing teens driving on a street while texting or not wearing a seat belt. Closed courses, with appropriate safety precautions are allowed – closed parking lots, private land with no traffic, being in a vehicle, while parked. Be safe, be smart.

Entries submitted with evidence of illegal use of copyrighted material will not be considered for judging. The use of company logos and other product names (for cars, beverages, etc.) is also prohibited.

You may submit more than one entry.

You may enter multiple categories.

Each student who submits an entry (poster or video) must submit an entry form. If you are part of a group/class submission, each student involved must have an entry form. Complete, signed entry forms must accompany entries.

All person(s) who appear in video and/or poster entry must complete a video/photo release form. Complete, signed video/photo release forms must accompany entry.

Judging will be based upon originality, creativity, and by how well you follow the messages that are central to the Teens in the Driver Seat® program.

Entry must follow specs listed below.

Awards will be given, payable to the school the student attends, in all categories. Winners in each division will receive:

Video First Place – $2,000

Video Second Place – $1,000

Video Third Place – $500

High School Poster First Place – $1,000

High School Poster Second Place – $500

High School Poster Third Place – $250

Junior High School Poster First Place – $500

Junior High School Poster Second Place – $250

Junior High School Poster Third Place – $100

All entries become property of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and all or part of your entry can be used to advance and support the Teens in the Driver Seat Program or the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute is not responsible for lost, damaged, misdirected or delayed entries.

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute reserves the right to withdraw, terminate, suspend, cancel or modify all or part of the contest at any time without notice.

Teens in the Driver Seat® reserves the right to change any of these rules and/or prizes.

All decisions are final.

VIDEO SPECS

Develop a video message that is either :28 seconds or :58 seconds long (the length needed to air commercials that you see on television). Sponsor logos will be added to winning videos before final release.

The video must address the issue of driving safety by focusing on one or more of the top five risks teens face behind the wheel or as a young passenger – nighttime/drowsy driving, speeding, distractions, seat belts, impaired driving, and/or driving dangerously around large trucks.

The video should be designed to be aired primarily on television.

Do not place scrolls, credits, or additional information within the final video.

Video should not include any copyrighted material (such as copyrighted music, video clips, or copyrighted logos and brands).

Submit your video entry on a DVD, CD, or flash drive to the address given above. Do not email video files.

Winners in the video category will need to provide original video source files. These files may be sent with entry.

POSTER SPECS

Your poster can be any size, up to 11-by-17 inches.

The poster must address the issue of driving safety by focusing on one or more of the top five risks teens face behind the wheel or as a young passenger – nighttime/drowsy driving, speeding, distractions, seat belts, impaired driving, and/or driving dangerously around large trucks.

Poster should not include any copyrighted material (such as copyrighted images, photos or characters).

Poster graphics should be original work. Posters that include downloaded, copied, or printed graphics from other sources will be disqualified.

Posters must be submitted electronically, in PDF or JPG format.

Emailed posters may be up to 5Mb, in PDF or JPG format, and ready to print. All entry forms and release forms must be emailed with poster file.

Mailed poster files may be larger in file size, but must still be in PDF or JPG format and ready to print. No mailed printed posters will be accepted.

Hand-drawn posters must be scanned and submitted electronically by email or mail, in PDF or JPG format, and ready to print. No mailed posters will be accepted.

Posters will be printed, in color, for judging on 11×17 paper, at the largest. Teens in the Driver Seat is not responsible for quality of print. Electronic files will be printed as is.

Winners in poster category will be required to provide original, high resolution electronic source files (300 dpi), with layers and fonts. We can accept Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign files. These files may be submitted with entry, if desired, but are not required with submission.

Winning posters will be published for printing on 11-by-17 inch and smaller formats.

Tips and Information!

Keep the message focus about teens and for teens. Always think about your end audience. We need your voice to spread the message about safe driving.